asked the Minister for Defence if he will indicate the number of officers, N.C.O.s and men who retired from the Army with full service between 1946 and 1949 and the number excluded from the benefit of the recent pensions increase Order.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Army Pensions.
The number of officers with 20 years' or more pensionable service who retired between 1st January, 1946, and 1st September, 1949, is 187. The number of N.C.O.s and men with 21 years' or more pensionable service who were discharged in the same period is 808.
The increases provided for in the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Scheme, 1953, which was signed by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Defence on the 25th of this month and which, before it can come into operation, must be approved by a resolution of each House, will not apply to the retired pay or pensions payable to these former officers, N.C.O.s and men.
It is the Government's intention, having squeezed these people out of the Army, now to squeeze them out of the increase of pensions?
asked the Minister for Defence if he will indicate the pension now payable to (a) a colonel's, (b) a lieutenant-colonel's, (c) a commandant's, and (e) a captain's widow with three children.
Under the Defence Forces (Pensions) Schemes, 1937 to 1949, the following are the annual pensions payable to the widow and three children of officers of the ranks mentioned:—
Colonel: £135 for the widow and £15 for each child—total £180; lieutenant-colonel:£112 10s. for the widow and £15 for each child—total £157 10s.; commandant: £97 10s. for the widow and £15 for each child—total £142 10s.; captain: £82 10s. for the widow and £15 for each child—total £127 10s.
In view of the fact that these figures show a depreciation from an earning capacity ranging from £1,300 to £960 in the case of the officers specified, does the Government consider that there is any equity in that scale of pension?
That is a separate question.